Quote from Forum Archives on October 21, 2003, 8:15 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

We've been discussing attitudes in the majority of the recent
collection of messages. In today's message, the Great
Commandment is mentioned once again. I've probably quoted these
verses, and those in Paul's letter to the Philippian church, more
than any other verses over the years that I've been sending
messages - a few of you may even have an idea how many times that
would be!

The words aren't mine, they're recorded in scripture, first in
the Old Testament, then repeated in the New Testament and
emphasized in two of the Gospel accounts. Therefore, things that
are repeated are done so for emphasis.

Precious Lord, please help each of us to cling to You, confess
and repent of judgmental attitudes, to restore ourselves with an
attitude of love toward You that spills out and overflows to
others.

Yours in Christ,
Brian

So What's New?
(John 13:31-35)

That's the problem with Jesus' "new commandment." Love? What's
new about that? The other Gospel writers inform us that Jesus
identified love as the greatest of the Old Testament's
commands: Love God with all your heart, He'd said, and love
your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 19:19; 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-33;
Luke 10:27). Whatever we can say about love, we can't say it's
"new." Love for God and others is woven into the whole of the
Old Testament revelation!

The answer lies in the Greek work here, kainen. It does not
imply "recent," or even "different." What it suggests is that
there is something fresh and new in the love that Jesus
commanded. And, looking closely at the text, we can see what
that is!

First, the freshness is found in the new relationships Jesus
creates (John 13:34). The Old Testament said, "Love your
neighbor" (Lev. 19:18). Jesus was about to establish a new
community, in which believers will be brothers and sisters -
family, not merely neighbors. Love takes on fresh new meaning
in the intimacy possible for members of the family of God.

Second, the freshness is found in the new standard Jesus
applies. The Old Testament said, "Love your neighbor as
yourself." Jesus said to love "as I have loved you" (John
13:34). Just as Jesus' love was self-sacrificial, and put our
benefit before His own well-being, so we now have the
opportunity to express, and receive, truly selfless love.

The next verse adds one more dimension to the love Jesus
commanded. There is a fresh, new impact on the world, worked by
Jesus' kind of love. "All men will know that you are My
disciples, if you love one another." The most compelling
evidence we can present of the reality of Jesus Christ is our
love for one another. When Christians love one another as Jesus
loves us, all do know that we follow Him, and that He lives.

Personal Application
Love isn't Jesus' "new suggestion." It is His "new
commandment."

Quotable
"People don't go where the action is, they go where the love
is." - Jess Moody

a~1990 by Lawrence O. Richards
The 365 Day Devotional Commentary
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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